


Drunk Decisions are the Best Decisions

by Just_amberr



Series: Tom learns How to Relationship [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Crack, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Fluff and Humor, Good Tom Riddle, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29729334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_amberr/pseuds/Just_amberr
Summary: AU where Tom is a rich, young CEO and Harry is a middleclass gentleman. After breaking up with his boyfriend Cedric, Harry decided to go have a beer in his favorite bar. Unbeknownst to him, Tom has also decided to visit a bar for the first time. In which Tom tries to flirt and fails spectacularly.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Series: Tom learns How to Relationship [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2185662
Comments: 18
Kudos: 233





	Drunk Decisions are the Best Decisions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jellyfishics (SolarStorm16)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarStorm16/gifts), [goldenzingy46](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenzingy46/gifts).
  * Translation into Русский available: [Пьяные решения - лучшие решения](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29869629) by [Dekamory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dekamory/pseuds/Dekamory)



Tom Riddle, a very smart and ambitious CEO of the multi-million dollar company, was drunk. 

He didn’t even have a good reason to be drunk, really. Tom had been top of his class all through school, one of the youngest CEO’s in the country, and could have anyone or anything he wanted with one phone call. His control was absolute and went unquestioned. But lately, Tom had been craving the exact opposite. He wanted to be anonymous, out of control, and carefree in the way he had seen so many young people behave. 

So, he’d donned his most casual outfit, gone to a bar downtown, and was now four shots in on low shelf tequila thinking that maybe getting drunk on a Tuesday was a poor idea. 

And then, he saw Harry. He knew the man’s name was Harry because he came with a handy name tag on the uniform he clearly hadn’t bothered changing out of before coming into the bar. Though the black polo and loose slacks were doing nothing for him, Tom couldn’t take his eyes off the man as he ordered a beer from the bartender and sat down a seat away from him.

Now, under normal circumstances, Tom could be very persuasive and charming. It was how he had created his company and his reputation after all. But underneath that sauve exterior was a very socially inept man who did not understand subtly. The tequila had stripped him of this ability to mask said ineptitude, which is how he later justified saying. 

“I love you, Harry.”

Harry immediately turned to face Tom, his shocked expression taking in the empty shot glasses and Tom’s figure before slowly sliding into a smirk. 

“Well,” Harry replied, taking a drink and moving over a seat so they were sitting right next to each other. “I’d return the compliment, but I’m afraid I don’t know your name yet.”

“Tom.” He practically beamed, his hand reaching out for Harry’s twice before Harry caught it and they shook. “Do you want to marry me, Harry?”

Harry laughed, warm and bright. “Sure, why not.”

Tom really quite liked Harry’s laugh. He wanted to hear it again.

“Good,” Tom smiled. “Because I like your laugh and I want to hear it always.”

Harry’s eyes lit up as he recognized the honesty in Tom’s voice. 

“That’s very sweet, Tom.” 

He ordered some food and a glass of water for Tom. When he turned back to look at Tom, he answered the unspoken question on Tom’s face. 

“I figure if we’re going to get married, we might as well make this a proper date.”

Tom nodded seriously. “That does make sense. You are very smart, Harry.”

They spent the rest of the night talking, Tom sharing more with Harry in one evening than he had with anyone else he’d known for years. Though he normally pretended to hate ‘pedestrian’ food, Tom ate over half of the fish and chips Harry ordered. By the time they were outside trying to hail a cab, Tom was convinced that even sober he would very much want to be with Harry. 

“Wait,” He said before getting into the cab to go home. “Harry, how do I find you tomorrow?”

Harry smirked again, kissing Tom on the cheek. “You’re sweet, Tom.”

He took a pen and paper out of his pocket, writing down his name and number for Tom. When he looked up to give it to Tom though, he found himself laughing again as Tom looked positively starstruck, one hand touching his cheek where Harry had kissed it. 

“Take some aspirin when you get home, Tom.” He smiled, slipping the paper into Tom’s pocket before opening the cab door for him. 

Tom just nodded, getting into the cab and smiling like a fool all the way home. 

The next morning, Tom was very aware of two things. Firstly, he had had entirely too much to drink the night before. Secondly, he was absolutely doomed. 

Because he had to see Harry again, but he’d also made an absolute idiot of himself at the bar. Tom had to fix this - prove that he was worth dating and an excellent partner for anyone, but especially for Harry. It was just like any PR interaction, which Tom had years worth of experience managing. 

The first step: find Harry’s phone number and contact a private investigator to do a background check. Tom needed an address mostly, but his paranoid brain also needed to make sure he wasn’t jumping into a relationship with some crazy person. 

He got up too quickly, holding his head and wincing for a few minutes before trying again. The paper with Harry Potter’s number on it was tucked carefully in Tom’s jacket. He savored the handwriting for a moment, the overall slant and the way Harry curved his ‘y’s. But then he was calling the investigator, giving them the information he had and putting them to work. 

Situation being handled, Tom got up for the third time and practically marched himself through the motions of getting ready for the day. He may be hungover, he may also have a crush, but Hell would freeze over before he missed a day at work. Dynasties weren’t made in a day, and they certainly weren’t made by lazy men. 

“What’re you smirking about?” Ron asked, smiling. “You’ve been like this all day!”

Harry was moving into a new flat with the help of his best mate, Ron. He’d been thinking about the stranger he’d met at his local bar all morning, hence the smirking. 

“Oh, nothing,” He waved Ron off. “Let’s get this last load brought in before Hermione arrives.”

“Right,” Ron rolled his eyes. “With you, it’s never nothing.”

But he helped Harry carry the last box into the flat, pestering him the whole way. 

“It’s a boy, isn’t it?” Ron guessed. “You met someone and you’re being weird about it because you just broke up with Cedric.”

Harry blushed. “Shut up and help me.”

“It is a boy!” Ron accused. “Harry, you know I’d never judge you for getting back out there! I didn’t even like Cedric that much.”

“There is no boy!” Harry yelled defensively. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He went back down the stairs and into the lobby, only to be confronted by no less than six dozen red roses. Ron was right behind and gawked at the display. 

“Is there a wedding going on?” Ron asked, stunned. “That’s a lot of flowers.”

“Excuse me?” The girl behind the front desk asked. “But do either of you happen to be ‘Harry Potter’?”

“That’s me.” Harry answered, confusion clear in his tone. 

“These are all for you!” The girl said brightly. “From a Mr. Tom Riddle. Would you like them brought up to your flat?”

Ron let out a low whistle. “No boy, huh?”

“Oh, and he also told me to give you this.” She added, smiling at Harry like he was the luckiest person on Earth. She held out a box, which turned out to house an incredibly expensive-looking ring.

Harry felt a red flush creeping up his neck to his ears. Not wanting to cause any more of a scene then had already been made, Harry just nodded briskly and bolted back up the stairs to his flat. Ron was hot on his heels though, trying not to burst from his own curiosity. 

“Okay, so,” Harry said, scrambling for his laptop. “Maybe there was a boy. But it was nothing!”

Ron quirked an eyebrow, smirking. “Harry, men don’t send that many roses over nothing.”

“He was drunk!” Harry yelled. “He was drunk and he asked me to marry him! It was all a joke and we didn’t even do anything! I just gave him my name and number, mostly in case he forgot what happened the next morning so I could reassure him nothing bad happened.”

Harry quickly typed the name Tom Riddle into Google and nervously waited for the results to pop up. Ron came around to read over Harry’s shoulder, his jaw practically dropping to the floor. 

“Harry…” Ron said, astounded. “I know I told you to do better than Cedric, but this guy is way out of your league.”

“Hey!” Harry said defensively, shoving his friend. 

“I’m just saying!” Ron pointed at the computer. “Tom Riddle is like a billionaire according to this! What was he even doing, slumming in a bar like that?”

“Honestly,” Harry said as he scrolled through an article about Tom. “He seemed kind of...lonely.”

“Who seemed lonely?” Hermione called, immediately confused by the mass amount of roses being piled on top of Harry’s moving boxes. 

“This bloke Harry met yesterday!” Ron explained excitedly. “Sent him all these roses, can you believe that?”

“Wait…” Hermione read the card attached to one of the bouquets of flowers. “This says ‘Tom Riddle’ on it, Harry.”

Harry nodded miserably. “Yeah, that would be his name. But he didn’t tell me the last bit, just Tom.”

Hermione made a sound surely only dogs could hear and practically raced over to them both. 

“I cannot believe this, Harry!” She screamed. “Tom Riddle is amazing! Did you know he single-handedly raised enough money to renovate all of the orphanages in London? And all of his products are environmentally-friendly and made in-country! He’s the youngest CEO of the century!”

She slapped Harry on the arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us immediately, Harry!”

“I didn’t know it was him!” Harry covered his face with his hands. This whole thing was simply mortifying. 

“Well,” Ron smirked. “What are you going to do, Harry? He’s obviously interested in you.”

Harry shook his head, raising it defiantly. 

“Oh no, he’s interested in owning me. Guys like him,” He gestured vengefully at the screen. “Take what they want and don’t care about others. I could have been in a relationship for all he knew - and he found my address! I definitely didn’t tell him my address last night.”

“Oh, Harry,” Ron looked about to wave him off. 

“Don’t you ‘oh, Harry,’ me!” Harry got up and started pacing. “I left Cedric because he did stuff like this and I’m not about to make the same mistake twice. I’m going to march over to his work and tell him to keep his stupid presents to himself.”

Harry stuffed the gaudy diamond ring into his jacket, marching himself to a cab before he lost his nerve. 

“He’s gone mental, hasn’t he?” Hermione said after Harry had left, taking a seat on the couch. Ron sat down next to her, just nodding. 

They seemed to reach Tom’s work way too quickly considering traffic, but he soldiered on into the lobby. 

“Hello, how may I help you?” The lady at the front desk asked.

“I’m here to see Tom Riddle.” Harry grit out. 

“What is your name, please?”

“Harry Potter.”

A look of understanding crossed her face. 

“Certainly, one moment.”

She picked up the phone at her desk and spoke into it quietly. 

“He’ll see you now. Take the elevator up to the top floor, please.”

Harry was startled by how easily he was given access, not knowing that Tom had told her to send him up immediately if Harry came by. Harry crossed into the sleek elevator, hitting the button that would take him to the top floor. He saw his disheveled appearance in the mirror and attempted to fix himself up, self-conscious now that he’d had a minute to think. Maybe he’d over-reacted?

The elevator opened and Harry found himself in a brightly lit hallway leading to a large oak door. He walked down it, feeling small as he opened the door and walked inside. Tom was clearly waiting for him, but pretending not to as he made tea. 

“So,” He smiled at Harry. “You got my delivery, then?”

Being reminded of the 'delivery', and seeing Tom’s stupidly perfect clothes and office, snapped Harry back into the righteous outrage he’d had earlier. He fumbled trying to get out the box, but finally managed it and practically threw it onto the large oak desk.

“Yes, I most certainly did!” He said crossly. “And I came here to tell you thanks, but I don’t want it.”

And he marched right back out, leaving behind a very stunned Tom. 

He almost made it back to the elevator before Tom caught up with him. “Harry!”

“Harry,” Tom looked genuinely confused and hurt. “Have I done something wrong?”

Harry squinted at him, trying to gauge whether or not Tom was playing dumb on purpose. 

“Yes, Tom,” Harry said finally, deciding to humor him. “You have done something wrong. I don’t want or need expensive gifts thrown at me by someone I barely know.”

Tom’s brow furrowed even further. “But...Lucius said when you like someone, you should send them flowers and jewelry. He said it’s how his wife fell in love with him. And you do know me, I’ve never shared half as much with other people as I have with you.”

Harry just stared at him for a moment. If he tilted his head and squinted, he could see past all the bullshit to where the man he’d met at the bar stood. This poor bloke clearly had no idea what he was doing when it came to relationships, if he genuinely believed throwing roses and diamonds at Harry would work. 

Really, dating him would be a public service. 

“Alright,” Harry took a deep breath. “Let’s go back to your office. I need to explain some ground rules to you.”

Nearly an hour later, a rather flushed-looking Harry left Tom’s building. They were scheduled to go on a proper date later that week, which Harry hoped would be the first of many. 

Outtake: 

“Lucius, you are an imbecile.” Tom said witheringly. “People do not like it when you attempt to buy their affections, obviously.”

Lucius looked back at Tom, nonplussed. “You just asked me how I proposed to Narcissa, Tom. I gave her an engagement ring and a rose.”

“Well, you’re lucky she kept you.” Tom said. “Because Harry said flowers and jewelry do not work.”

**Author's Note:**

> I caved and got an AO3 account! I hope you all enjoy this one-shot I made!
> 
> Happy Reading!


End file.
